You have to give Mr. Levant immense credit. His "opening remarks" are a full-on broadside salvo. I don't think we've ever seen anything like this before. Could the HRC finally have met it's match? I certainly hope so. Godspeed, Ezra.

Good luck to the various members of the commission, and to the complainants.

They're going to need it -- they picked exactly the wrong guy to try to silence or intimidate.

It just couldn't have worked out better.

Go Ezra!

Ezra, You have my full and complete moral and monetary support. Enough already, this is going to come to end....one way or another.

Mr. Levant has another comment up now, which states: "my lawyer and I insisted that we be permitted to record the interrogation, for use when we appeal the commission's decision to a real court":

ezralevant.com/2008/01/some-press-coverage.html

Is there as fund set for Ezra? If so, where can I sent it?

Right out of the park. Well done Ezra!!!!!

"a fund" ...beer and a temper do not mix

I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you or is that too radical?

Go Ezra go. Down with this version of hrc!

Jonah G. wrote it right. Liberal Fascism!

"...for use when we appeal the commission's decision to a real court."

That's great. I've always wondered: How much power do these quasi-judiciary bodies have? Can they send someone to jail, say, for refusing to shut up, or for refusing to pay a fine for not shutting up?

Ezra Levant is the right man at the right time. I think we're going to find out exactly what the limits of their powers are.

Wat to rip 'em a new one Ezra! Eloquent,and fierce,and bang on..good luck.

"Way to rip em" I meant to say..it's late.

Go Ezra Go!! It is people like Ezra that give me hope for this country. I truly hope he exposes these leeches for what they truly are... a bunch of bureaucratic parasites trying to puff themselves up into something they will never be...important. They are insignificant to the betterment of society and only serve to drag this country into the morass of politically correct liberalism while sucking valuable tax dollars that could be left in the pockets of truly important people (taxpayers) that are actually doing something for this country.

Thank you Ezra (and Kate) for all that you do for this country.

Ezra Levant is a great Canadian.

go ezera go

Re: "the process has become the punishment"

The taxpayers pay for the Imam's prosecution, while the Western Standard has to pay for it's own defence. While it may be true that, because this isn't a real court of law, rules governing nuisance lawsuits don't apply, it may also be true, for the same reason, that the real victim here, Ezra Levant (The Western Standard) may be able to sue for loss and damages. I think it's only fair and reasonable, and I'd love to see the commission before a real court of law.

We can not let this one man stand tall for all of us, as we cheer from the sidelines. The very fabric of our society is being threatened, not from without but from within our own governments, provincial and federal.

I plan to email our Premier, Stelmach (I can't email my MLA cause he's a Liberal, and has no clue)that if he wants my vote next time, he better promise to change these tribunals. If we all make it a priority, we might be heard over the yelling of special interest groups.

There in the HRC lies an enemy of Canada. To take the side of a hideous piece of pig $#!t against a publisher that published cartoons of the child molester is a sad day in Canada.

It's unbelievable that this would happen in Canada, but then, it's come to my attention, that we have a very active 5th Column in various bureaucracies that are working to destroy the Canada I know and love.

One has to wonder about justice in Canada.

Must our champions of justice and the HRC protect these sweet meek people from cartoons at our collective expense?

frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=4793D07C-A7AE-439F-8B9E-54F345BF6F77

Current law, common law and common sense now seem completely unrelated. = TG

This is a 'turning point' in Canadian history and it is all Canadian citizens who are on trial here.
If Ezra goes down the rest of us go too.

Like the smoking ban fanatics, the hrc is taking small nibbles to begin, soon any non PC speech will go the way of smoking tolerated areas. The smoking ban fanatics took this nation from smoking is allowed everywhere except where property owners request no smoking because they don't like it or in areas where there is a danger of explosion (gas, hospitals etc.) to a ban in some public areas (offices, family restaurants) for the 'sake of the children' and to save on heating /cooling bills (by not having to air places out) to smoking permitted only in some ADULT public bars and private homes to smoking banned everywhere except private ADULT houses, hookah bars (to not offend some), CBC offices and in a car with no children aboard.

The smoking ban action is a blueprint for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of any kind..the Bolshevik thugs nibble at the edges to stimulate the 'anti people' movement, damning and humiliating and bullying anyone who dares speak up in defense of freedom - then they sweep in to put on the chains, firmly enslaving all human souls.

The WS stood up for smokers - they had many articles on the topic - you know the old saying 'they came for the Jews and I wasn't a Jew so I did and said nothing.....when they came for me there was no one left to say or do anything...The time is NOW Canada; speak up or be prepared to forever hold your speech...

Ezra we are all on trial with you. Keep us updated and let us know when help is needed. I don't have loads of $$ but I will send you what I can afford and do it gladly. Anything else that I can do to help you, I will do. God Bless you Ezra; thank-you for fighting for all of us. Thank-you for this post Kate.

Solidarity indeed...

http://uncommonsensecanada.blogspot.com/2008/01/rooting-for-ezra.html

How could the smug and morally superior HRC even answer to that opening statement?

What possible answer do they have?

sadly, I fear, guilty.

I suspect they probably looked blankly at him for a moment - and then proceeded onwards with exactly the same words that they had decided to use when they determined he was guilty, on the day the complaint against him was made.

when we appeal the commission's decision to a real court":
===============================
That says it all, doesn't it. Go Ezra!!!!

Jema54 I feel as you do. A great day for Canadians. We are all on trial, and we get to watch Ezra dismantle the star chamber. Ezra will not allow them to intimidate him. I do fear for Ezra's life, going up against such radical muslims. It is a brave thing he does. Many others have died for speaking up against the oppression of islam.

Ezra, with glowing eyes, we see thee rise...

For the True North, strong and free...

Against Liberal Fascism...

A hero is born.

It's over for Ezra. The commission has finally extracted their precious pound of flesh. I hope they're happy.

Citizen Ezra Levant acknowledges that it was absolutely wrong for him to do what he did:

"When the Western Standard magazine printed the Danish cartoons of Mohammed two years ago, I was the publisher. It was the proudest moment of my public life. I would do it again today. In fact, I did do it again today..."

He fully accepts the court's authority to limit his speech:

"It is my position that the government has no legal or moral authority to interrogate me or anyone else for publishing these words and pictures."

He is careful to show sensitivity to the religious beliefs of his accuser...

"Now the commission...is taking it upon itself to be an enforcer of the views of radical Islam. So much for the separation of mosque and state."

...and he favourably compares the upcoming pronouncements of the judges to the sermon on the mount:

"The commission is a joke -- it's the Alberta equivalent of a U.S. television pseudo-court like Judge Judy -- except that Judge Judy actually was a judge, whereas none of the commission's panelists are judges, and some aren't even lawyers."

He admits, through racking sobs, that such commissions are for the good of all Canadians...

"The commissions have leapt out of the small cage they were confined to, and are now attacking our fundamental freedoms..."

...and, in a rocking motion, he struggles unsuccessfully for the words that could even begin to describe how very very fair the corrective process he is undergoing is:

"Common law rules of evidence don't apply. Rules of court don't apply. It is a system that is part kafka, and part Stalin. Even this interrogation today -- at which I appear under duress -- saw the commission tell me who I could or could not bring with me as my counsel and advisors."

In his last desperate act the guilty man staggers, flailing knock-kneed, to supplicate himself in front of the judges; he pleads for mercy on the grounds that he doesn't have a leg to stand on:

"For a government bureaucrat to call any publisher or anyone else to an interrogation to be quizzed about his political or religious expression is a violation of 800 years of common law, a Universal Declaration of Rights, a Bill of Rights and Charter of Rights. This commission is applying Saudi values, not Canadian values."

All in all, a real disappointment. I was hoping he'd stand up for free speech.

refuse to go , refuse to reply. refuse, refuse, refuse. see if the gestapo show up at your door. if they do kill them.

There is little that is "human" about the HRC these days.

The way I see it, Mr. Ezra's human rights are the ones being impeded.

Why do I suspect w.kinsella would love the HRC?

We don,t See or hear a word from the state owned CBC, CTV, etc.

Why are they all so quite? ... Where Do they Stand?

Do they agree with the HRC?

Do they understand the treat these "Grand Inquisitors" pose to the fabric of our Democracy.

I Think, they fear Radical Islam.

They are cowards. and refuse to speak out on what is happening to freedom of the press in this country.

Fear of what would happen to them if they dare speak out.

They should be all over this story, not a peep,except from Rex Murphy.

Cowards all.

AWESOME!

"For a government bureaucrat to call any publisher or anyone else to an interrogation to be quizzed about his political or religious expression is a violation of 800 years of common law, a Universal Declaration of Rights, a Bill of Rights and a Charter of Rights. This commission is applying Saudi values, not Canadian values."

Amongst the many hard-hitting and valid arguments Ezra Levant has made against the blatantly unjust and repressive Alberta HRC, this paragraph sums up, for me, the crux of the matter.

There are many of us former Western Standard subscribers (former, because the magazine folded a few months ago--it can now be accessed via the Web) who, a year and a half ago, jumped in to support Ezra when he was first fingered by the Saudi Imam now living in Canada.

Mr. Levant has had to wait much too long for his day in court, and my fervent hope and prayer is that now that he's been hauled before his accusers, he blows this whole HRC farce right out of the water.

The HRCs need to be shut down, otherwise Canada's hurtling into the swamp faster than a greased weasel. Glug. Glug. Glug.

Ezra IS the front line in the battle to preserve freedom of speech and association in Canada. We ought to be demonstrating in the streets, writing thousands of letters to editors and politicians, and talking about this on TV news shows every day.

Every person who runs a blog in Canada and posts on a blog in Canada is the next target if the HRCs are not recognizes, or are taught, the limits of their mandate.

There is also an epetition relevant to this issue. Everyone should sign, and write a letter as well, not only for Ezra Levant, but for Mark Steyn, who is next. A bunch of idiot schoolboys and a despised hate-spouting Imam cannot be permitted to try to "intimidate" Macleans.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/a-free-dominion-against-the-hrcs/signatures.html

Can someone with good memory and legal sense please educate me:
Since these HRCs seem incompatible with the Charter (e.g.), why are they still allowed to exist?
Was there no debate on the legality of these commissions at the time they were invented?
(Sorry, wasn't in the country then.)

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=ae4275af-001b-4d7c-be24-aa6c1822fc97

Definitely slanted article, seems to suggest that what he's doing is some sort of hate speech.

But the gem is at the end:

The commentator said he was asked about his rationale for publishing the cartoons.

"I don't need to be reasonable. I have maximum rights of free speech," he said later. "I have the right to publish this for the most offensive reason, for the most unreasonable reasons."

Why is CBC allowed to run a show called Little Mosque on the Prairie? It's a spoof. Aren't cartoons the same?
This has to be fought right to the highest court in the land.
Allowing a complaint on what is essentially one of our freedoms is inciting more crazies into a frenzy and people will be killed. It's a serious issue. We need someone from high office to inform all comers to this land we have freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
To quote Fred Thompson,"the nutcases are not the only ones who have freedom of speech".

Liz J asked...

Why is CBC allowed to run a show called Little Mosque on the Prairie?

Simple, Liz. It's because creative control for the show belongs to a Muslim woman. If any white person were to produce the EXACT same show with EVERYTHING the same as it is now, it would be a hate crime. It's like with blacks and "the N word." It's only offensive if the person saying it does not belong to the proper racial group.

If someone can show me any law (either domestic or international) that says there is a fundamental right to not be offended, then I will begin supporting bodies like this HRC. Right after that, I will start launching my own slew of complaints regarding things that tick me off and that I want banned.

Until then, there is no argument for these abominations existing.

Kudos to Ezra Levant for his stand.

Particularly for his statement to the "commission."

Too bad he didn't then leave the room, after reading his statement.

At that point I suspect MSM might even take interest in this farce.

Particular mention and kudos as well to Kate for making the photos available to the blogosphere and many thousands of her visitors world wide.

This is a story that may have profound consequences if the "commission" is successful.

However, the very fact the HRC can drag anyone before it for "hurt feelings" is a tragedy in its self.

I truly hope the Mark Steyn farce will be the end of these kangaroo one sided courts in Canada.
(Complainants getting a free ride insofar as costs go)

There is one Canadian, standing tall in the middle of the dusty street, hand poised, waiting for the clock to strike noon. Justice will be extracted. I tip my hat...

Good work !

I threw a couple of bucks in the pot when the Western Standard started up, watching Ezra boot Harry Forrestal around the CBC studio was worth every penny. Then watching him mop the floor with various Imans and other liberal journalists was a bonus.
Now is the time to get out the cheque books and support Ezra and Macleans and Mark Steyn anyone else dragged in front of these tribunals.
Send a couple of subscriptions or books to friends.
It could be anyone of us dragged in front of these tyrants, a misunderstood remark at work or any sort of conflict could result in a false accusation of racism and an expensive trip to these travesties of justice. Even if you win you lose.
Being innocent would not be a factor.
The HRC's have been perverted and are being used by arseholes to bully decent people.
Let's stop them.

"the separation of mosque and state"

Exactly Ezra! The HR star chamber seems to have a bias in enforcing it's ad-lib state enforced secularism....I seriously can't see them defending a Christian minister as they do some radical Imam or some Jewish political pressure group.

What's good for the cathedral is good for the synagogue and is good for the Mosque. ;-)

Taking one step back to look at the situation causes me to snicker and say "forgive them lord, they know not what they do".

The HRC ( and the Imam)is being set up by Ezra for a defamation trial. The HRC is used to beating up the accused. It is not used to being taken to court, which is what I feel Ezra and company are preparing to do.

As for the Imam's suggesting that someone might kill him he needs to understand that Islam believes everything that happens is the will of Allah. If he is opposed to the will of Allah he is not a real muslim and we all know what the Koran says about that.

Why do some proudly tout the Charter and allow Socialist Cabals like the HRC's to infringe on our freedoms for complaints no matter how asinine?

Even with a threat of someone going to the HRC's a basic freedom can be squelched. Most ordinary people can't afford lengthy legals battles.

Now them's fighting words.

That's some "submission" to the "commission".

Aha, I sense a slogan for T-shirts.

NO SUBMISSION TO THE COMMISSION!

"The officer allowed the video camera, but asked that we keep the recording confidential."

It is clear from that sort of nonsense that Human Rights Commissions need to be abolished entirely or at the very least, they need to be very significantly curtailed. This is an absolute outrage. In fact, everything in these "hearings" should be recorded and made public....but like Ezra says, this group operates in the legal shadows and would not stand up to public scrutiny. (Those accused should walk out of the room if their request to record the proceedings is denied.)

Kick ass, Ezra. It's time to show the public what this kangaroo court has turned itself into......a radical Star Chamber.

I can't find any actual newspaper article as such but the content is to be read and understood by all of us.

ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ….
The following is a copy of an article written by Spanish writer Sebastian Vilar Rodrigez and published in a Spanish newspaper on 5-22-07.

I walked down the street in Barcelona, and suddenly discovered a terrible truth - Europe died in Auschwitz . We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity, talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and wonderful people who changed the world.

The contribution of this people is felt in all areas of life: science, art, international trade, and above all, as the conscience of the world. These are the people we burned.

And under the pretense of tolerance, and because we wanted to prove to ourselves that we were cured of the disease of racism, we opened our gates to 20 million Muslims, who brought us stupidity and ignorance, religious extremism and lack of tolerance, crime and poverty, due to an unwillingness to work and support their families with pride.

They have blown up our trains and turned our beautiful Spanish cities into the third world, drowning in filth and crime.

Shut up in the apartments they receive free from the government, they plan the murder and destruction of their naive hosts.

And thus, in our misery, we have exchanged culture for fanatical hatred, creative skill for destructive skill, intelligence for backwardness and superstition

We have exchanged the pursuit of peace of the Jews of Europe and their talent for hoping for a better future for their children, their determined clinging to life because life is holy, for those who pursue death, for people consumed by the desire for death for themselves and others, for our children and theirs.

What a terrible mistake was made by miserable Europe.

A lot of Americans have become so insulated from reality that they imagine America can suffer defeat without any inconvenience to themselves. These events are actual events from history. They really happened!

1. 1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by A Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40

2. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

3. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

4. During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

5. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

6. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

7. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

8. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

9. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

10. In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

11. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

12. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

13. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by: Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

So, to ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics intent on killing us, airport security screeners will no longer be allowed to profile certain people. They must conduct random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, secret agents who are members of the President's security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winner and former Governor Joe Foss, but leave Muslim Males between the ages 17 and 40 alone lest they be guilty of profiling. Let's send this to as many people as we can so that the Gloria Aldreds and other dunder-headed attorneys along with Federal Justices that want to thwart common sense, feel ashamed of themselves -- if they have any such sense .

As the writer of the award winning story "Forrest Gump" so aptly put it, "Stupid is as stupid does."

"Interrogation"? The word should probably be "Inquisition". Somehow it seems more fitting. Merriam Webster defines "inquisition" as "an investigation conducted with little regard for individual rights". Seems to fit perfectly.

It's about time the HRCs were outed for the repressive thuggery they represent against law abiding Canadians, who are forced to PAY for this threat to their integrity and security. Only in Canada . . .

Johan i Kanada asks some good questions. I can't exactly answer them, however, I know that a marginalized group in Canada, "despised and rejected" by all the elites of this country could. The pro-life founders of this group fought against the very existence of the Charter, which, like the HRCs, it knew would be a vehicle for social engineering. This group has been saying much the same thing as Ezra—BRAVO!—for decades.

So, why has no one heard what they have to say? As I said, being “despised and rejected”, especially by the MSM, they’ve been made fun of and shunned: because they reasonably present politically incorrect information, well documented, the MSM ignores them.

1) Here’s what this group wrote about our HRCs, in November, 1998, nearly ten years ago:

“[We have] criticized the Human Rights Commissions over the years.

“In September, however, we received substantial confirmation that our objections were valid when the federal Auditor General, Denis Desautels, issued a scathing report of the federal Human Rights Commission.

“He stated in his report that the role of the Commission was blurred by the many roles it plays. On the one hand, it is supposed to be an impartial investigator with a mandate to reconcile the parties, representing the public while doing so. Instead, it represents mainly the interests of the complainants. That is, the Commission loudly and aggressively promotes its favourite causes, such as homosexual rights [homosexual activists have made substantial use of the HRCs to advance their agenda: now Muslims are] which it has promoted since the agency was created in 1977 . . .

“In short, the Human Rights Commission can scarcely be regarded as a neutral or impartial agency.”

2) Re the Hugh Owens case in Saskatoon, this group wrote, in September, 1999:

“A recent Human Rights Tribunal in Saskatoon exposes yet again why Human Rights Commissions should be abolished and be replaced by an impartial court of law . . .

“The fate of Mr. Owens lies in the hands of a young, politically correct female lawyer, Valerie Watson, appointed by the Human Rights Commission to act as judge, jury and executioner during this hearing. Impartiality is clearly not a characteristic of Commission hearings since they receive the complaint, investigate it, judge it, and then decide to present it to a one-person Board of Inquiry to rule on it, based on the facts that they themselves have determined! . . .

“An account of this kangaroo court cannot be complete without a comment about the media coverage of the hearing. Having personally attended 3 full days and 2 half days of the 7-day hearing, I can state forthrightly that the media coverage was biased . . .

“Unfortunately, many people seem to think that Mr. Owens’ ad was and is the issue and that it doesn’t affect their lives. Of course, Canadians want to appear to be reasonable and tolerant of others, so why be concerned about a Human Rights Tribunal? The issue at stake here, however, goes to the very centre of basic freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Do we, as individual citizens, have the right to discuss, debate, disagree and/or dissent on the homosexual issue (and any other issue) or do we not? The matter isn't whether we approve or disapprove of the ad or Mr. Owens [a Christian, BTW, an HRC favourite whipping boy group]. The bottom line is, do we want to live in a democratic country where the basic freedoms to believe what one wishes are protected? If our answer is in the affirmative — this tribunal hearing should be the cause of serious concern to us all.”

The loss of Canadians' basic rights has largely been deep sixed in our country, even though, as demonstrated here, reasonable voices have been criticizing the HRCs for a long time. So, why has this voice not been heard? The reason is, it's the voice of REAL Women and, as the “tolerant and inclusive” Canadian elites—whose agenda the HRCs promote—have made perfectly clear, these women don’t count! (Item 1, from REAL Women's newsletter, was likely written by the estimable Gwen Landolt, lawyer, and founder of REAL Women. Item 2 was written by Cecilia Forsyth, when she was President of the Saskatchewn Chapter.)

The Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn/Macleans cases have, thankfully, raised the profile of this crucial issue. Maybe Canadians will finally take note and start to fight back.

File a counter complaint against the individuals on the HRC panel for violation of your rights Ezra.

Sadly, unless Mr. Levant has legal recourse to sue this
crazed imam for monetary damages after this case is
thrown out by this kangaroo court, as it has to be,
we are all going to have to look in a mirror and realize that we
are all complicit in allowing Canada
to adopt sharia law as the law of the land.

Conspicuous by their absence from this post are the usual leftard trolls. Their absence is explained by the fact that the theme of this post lures the leftards toward the three questions they refuse to answer.

1) Why it is that, when any left wing group gains power they first seek to stifle and ultimately eliminate freedom of speech? Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Albania. Pick any “progressive” country where the left has taken over and all forms of the media are censored.
2) Name one country where socialism raised the condition of its people to an acceptable level?
3) Why is it that the vast majority of left wingers are anti-Israel, anti-Semitic or self loathing Jews?

Just because Ezra is 100% right does not mean that he will win unless we support him.

Go Ezra or go freedom. Pick one. Pick one now.

Make that "SaskatchewAn": sorry, Kate!!

WOW ... I had been wondering if he'd insist on video-recording the inquisition.
Trust me -- I know these types: THEY. ARE. SCARED. VERY. SCARED.

I gave Ezra $1000 shortly after the imam handed in his hand-scratched complaint to the Kargaroo Court. Cheap at twice the price!

With Ezra and now Mark Steyn the HRC is TOAST. Get a piece of paper and a fridge magnet, and put this up: The HRC is TOAST.

Video: Rex Murphy on The Commission, Ezra Levant, Macleans and Mark Steyn.

I agree with Rex. He said it all and more. Why is he not hauled in too ? CBC immunity ?

Bart @ 7:05 am said . . .

We don*t See or hear a word from the state owned CBC, CTV, etc.

Why are they all so quiet? ... Where Do they Stand?
===========
Exactly. . . Remember? . .

Tranio @ 11:36 said . .

I can't find any actual newspaper article as such but the content is to be read and understood by all of us.

ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ…. .
========================================

CBC, CTV, MSM will headline a guilty verdict if they can, but not a peep beforehand, lest they awaken the sleeping sheeple of Canada to this CRIME IN PROGRESS. = TG

Sorry, link on Rex

http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/rex_murphy/human_rights_gone_awry.html

My opinion of Ezra has increased immenseley after reading his opening statement.
It is so true.

But its absolutely bizarre how such anti-democratic crap like these quasi-judicial bodies, staffed by appointed self-important pompous asses, became such a large part of this freedom loving country.

Sick'em Ezra!

The whole case is absurd. The HRC, presumably, is deciding whether Ezra's printing of motunes will cause hate and violence against Muslims. None of which has happened.

However, it can easily be proven that the caricatures of Mohammad are historically accurate. He was a bloodthirsty, mass-murdering brigand.

The teaching of much of the Quran, Hadith and Sira is unarguably a cause of hate and violence against non-Muslims - and most importantly, unlike the claim against Ezra, there's a mountain of evidence to prove that it has already caused massive amounts of violence, rape, slavery and genocide over a 1400 year period.

As I said, the whole case is upside down and a travesty of justice.

Thanks for posting the motunes again Kate.

No media coverage? The HRCs are doing the MSM's dirty work--promoting their socialist, lefty agenda. They don't want Canadians to know anything about this. Typical.

Oh -- God Ezra Go !

I meant, Go Ezra Go ! - typo

We need more motunes.
we won't be able to completely deal with this till we can drag it out into the sunlight

Finally got to read Ezra's powerful opening remarks before the Star Chamber. HUGE. Historic. A great Canadian!

Seconding irwin daisy's remark: kudos to Kate for linking to those lamo cartoons.

I especially appreciate his dual Saudi reference: to the Saudi-trained jew-hating (if you'll excuse the redundancy) imam who hand-scratched the complaint AND that the HRC is effectively operating a sharia court. Also his correct reference to the intitial mission: settling low-level squabbles over employment and housing that may contain a racialist aspect.
And think about it: this egregious mission creep actually proves that there just isn't enough of those low level squabbles to keep the HRC busy. God protect us from bureaucrats worried about redundancy!

Mind-boggling that the left, which excoriates even the merest mention of Christianity in the public square, actually supports legally harrassing its citizens for Islamic blasphemy.

Just in case some people didn't know this: the initial cartoons were not in fact published as gratuitous insult. It was a contest triggered when an author complained about not being able to find anyone to illustrate his book.

Thank goodness for Ezra Levant!

"Is there as fund set for Ezra? If so, where can I sent it?" (Rednik, 1:17 AM)

Anybody know? I cannot see anything at the link to his website.

National Newswatch has Ezra's tapes posted Via Big City Lib strikes back

Canada should be A S H A M E D that this form of inquisition exists as part of it's government!

Hang you head low Canada!

It would be quite fitting to call those who make up the cabal at HRC's 'Commissars'.

On the third day, will He rise again?

Give it a rest, people.

I hope Ezra does win. He may have to go to a real court to get any satisfaction but it would be about time.

I guess here is my queston. Ezra's defiance is of course exhilarating, but it is going to take more than words, high and true, to save our children from the horror these apalling tribunals have been heralding. Does anybody know, or can anybody here source the actual legislated standing of the Federal and Provincial HRC's? What is the Act or Act(s) that deliniate the scope of their powers? It would be nice to get it out there, exactly where their relative strengths and vulnerabilities lie.

Ezra was campaigning to be a conservative MP from Calgary a few years ago. He stepped aside to allow one Steven Harper to have the nomination. Let's hope he tries again in the coming election, in a different riding, and wins.
I think his first private members bill would be, Abolish the HRC. With a majority PMSH government, it would pass. Then of course it would sit in the senate.
A bunch of senators and friends are going to Cuba to study health care. Didn't they see Moores film.
And, will they report on the guy who went there for surgery and died of a botched procedure.

A good post at ibloga.blogspot.com on the various tiers of censorship:

"The third tier of censorship is social censorship, the goal of indoctrinational censorship is to create and enforce the social consensus of what the acceptable view is.

When indoctrinational censorship is successful, social censorship crystallizes by making it impossible to say certain things out loud.

After the indoctrimeme that Islam is a religion of peace and terrorism is only practiced by a small number of extremists has reached critical mass, expressing the view that Islam itself is the cause of terrorism becomes a view that most people have coded and modeled as "false", "ignorant", "objectionable" and so on and so forth.

The popular entertainment subset of the indoctrinational phase teaches this modeling and coding by in our example

1. Identifying people who hold a "Wrong' view and aligning them with a negative stereotype, e.g. Rednecks, Flag Waving Patriots, Ignorant

2. Teaching people to model 'Right" behavior by rejecting their views as bigoted and ignorant using a fuzzy rote response that has no real meaning

Wrong Thinker: "I think the roots of terrorism may be inside Islam."

Right Thinker: "It's wrong to hate billions of people for what only a few extremists did."

teddy, is that you?

I haven't had a chance to read the comments yet, so this site may have been posted already, but if you would like to sign a Petition to support Mark Steyn against the HRC, go to www.socon.ca

While Ezra has rubbed my fur the wrong way on some things in the past, in this he has my full endorsement. Go Ezra; we're all behind you whether or not we even want to be, for as you go with these commisars so will go the rest of us.

Related from gatesofvienna.blogspot.com:

"The celebration of oxymora is central to the politico-linguistic discipline commonly known as “political correctness”.

To disable rational opposition to the prevailing orthodoxy, the first step is to take control of the language, forbidding certain words, promoting others, and changing the meanings of words within the permissible vocabulary to align with an all-pervading political ideology.

The second step is to erode the logical framework of thought itself, eating away at the deep structure of language until the underlying mental processes are deranged, leaving the mind vulnerable to re-programming.

Under the new PC template, time-hallowed distinctions — between good and evil, moral and immoral, true and false — are discarded. The only remaining distinction allowed is between what is and is not politically acceptable. PC has but a single commandment: “Thou shalt have no other words before mine.”

If all this sounds vaguely Orwellian, it’s because George Orwell’s writings drew on his experience with communism, and modern politically correct orthodoxy derives from Marx, the Frankfurt School, and the ideology of the revolutionary Left.

The preparatory task in the Marxist/Frankfurt schema was to make the “long march through the institutions”, destroying the cultural fabric of Western Civilization, leaving it ready for re-branding with what is now known as political correctness.

Since the PC system sees the whole of reality through the lenses of politics, the only rules are political ones. It considers such notions as objective truth and moral value to be meaningless as well as oppressive, and seeks to replace them with political values. The new rules, of course, since they are subject to the whims of those who wield power, are fungible."

NNW has a link to the Utube video of Ezra at the meeting. One woman listening to him. Watch her body language. Big City Lib runs both clips, and of course the comments are typical anti free speech. Those comments should be published far and wide, to let people know what will happen if the libs ever get back in power.
Ezra is great, much better to hear him give them hell than just read what he says.

forbidding certain words, promoting others, and changing the meanings of words
Ya mean like banning ... niggardly?

Wes, the Human Rights Act is

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/H-6/bo-ga:l_I::bo-ga:l_II?page=1

It was set up in 1976. You can find it, if the above link doesn't work, by googling Canadian Human Rights Act.

You will see that it was originally set up to deal with perceived or actual discrimination in employment and housing. Obviously there weren't enough cases to keep the bureaucrats busy and it rapidly transformed into an unaccountable Inquisitory Body of Censorship.

Pay particular attention to section 13

13. (1) It is a discriminatory practice for a person or a group of persons acting in concert to communicate telephonically or to cause to be so communicated, repeatedly, in whole or in part by means of the facilities of a telecommunication undertaking within the legislative authority of Parliament, any matter that is likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt by reason of the fact that that person or those persons are identifiable on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination. "

Notice the key terms: 'Likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt...."

Not ACTUALLY exposes. 'Likely' to expose. The focus moves from actual reality based on hard data and empirical evidence, to subjective internal speculation about 'what might happen' if someone sees that picture of X'.

Not what DID happen. What 'might happen', and this speculation is entirely in the mind of the complainant...who takes his 'case' to the HRC, and the two of them, complainant and HRC, together decide that yes indeed, something 'might happen in the future'...

And what is it that 'might happen'? That someone might feel 'hate' or 'contempt' towards that person.

I wonder if anyone on this planet can prove with any reasonable certainty that seeing a picture or reading a paragraph about X directly leads to a feeling of 'hate' or 'contempt' towards X - without also including a whole nest of previously embedded opinions and beliefs about that particular X.

There is no one that can make such a direct connection between that picture/article, and the feeling. No-one.

Yet, our HRC assert that they can.
Furthermore, they assert that they can make such a direct connection not 'now', but can make the connection BEFORE IT HAPPENS. That is, our HRC claims that they can define the future. They claim that they KNOW that a particular result WILL OCCUR before it even happens.

And they make their decisions based on this self-assumed magical capacity to both make direct connections between two unrelated events, and furthermore, to make connections that don't even exist.

No Stalinist commission could do better within such a set up - than our very own version, the HRC.

This is more serious than Ezra's situation:

"Event: Via a campaign undertaken by Hesham Islam, the senior advisor for International Affairs to Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, on Thursday, January 3, 2008 Mr. Coughlin was told by his employers that his contract would not be renewed due to the fact his message, and therefore he himself, had become too “politically hot.” In a meeting between Mr. Coughlin and a member of Mr. England’s staff, at which Hesham Islam unexpectedly attended, Mr. Islam asked Mr. Coughlin to “soften his message” regarding Islamic Doctrine. Mr. Coughlin refused. Islam was heard referring to Coughlin as a “Christian zealot with a poison pen.” Despite the fact that no one in his chain of command has disputed the veracity, accuracy, and balance for his thesis, lectures, or briefings, Coughlin’s employment is being terminated for speaking the truth to the Department of Defense.

Analysis: This event on its own reveals that a senior U.S. advisor is being removed from his direct and critical role in the current war in which we are engaged solely because his message was defined as “extreme” by an advisor who caters to Islamist organizations in the U.S., not because it was factually incorrect. This alone seems significantly problematic given the current war in which we are engaged. Additionally, some of the details suggest Mr. Coughlin’s civil rights, to include his First and Forth Amendment rights, as well as federal law, may have been violated, which suggests an inquiry is required. The effort to silence Mr. Coughlin came from a senior advisor to a senior U.S. official under official cover – a violation of law. Most disturbing is that Mr. Islam is associated with groups and organizations which have been designated as Muslim Brotherhood organizations within the United States. If this is in fact true, the implications are devastating.

Implications: If it is determined that Mr. Islam (whose clearances to be handling such high level issues are unsubstantiated) was acting directly or indirectly on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood or any other non-state sponsor or nation, it would indicate a direct effort to thwart the U.S. effort in fighting the war in which we are engaged by an outside entity. This is, therefore, a penetration of our government at the most senior levels. In this case we are obligated to undertake actions to determine, who is Mr. Islam, why was he hired, what are his true intentions, and are there others in our government at this level who have penetrated other U.S. government agencies.

Actions: It is recommended that the following actions be taken immediately:

1) It is imperative that an investigation be open to determine the facts of this matter. If the investigation determines the facts of the matter to be true, provide the extent of the penetration within DoD, an assessment of the damage, potential violations of federal law, and recommended changes to Department policy and procedures to prevent a recurrence.

2) Conduct closed Congressional Hearings to provide oversight of Federal Departments and Agencies, specifically DoD, DNI, FBI, CIA and DHS to determine if there has been (1) a significant penetration of US Government Departments and/or Agencies by non-state actors hostile to the United States, and (2) the ability and structure of the U.S. counterintelligence efforts to identify and prevent penetration by subversive movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood."

jihadwatch.org

I think Ezra is a real Canadian hero. It is really unfortunate that Canada has regressed to such a sorry state that he must act as he has.

Unfortunately, I think the HRC will ignore his statement. Thye will proceed as if he said nothing, which means he will be fined and ordered to pay the aggrieved imman lots of dollars (after all, he WAS offended).

Ezra should take this to an actual court, and he will need our financial support. I, for one, am more than willing to help finance his legal proceedings. The HRC is a terrorist organization, orchestrated to promote fear in the average Canadian and to muzzle the masses.

ET: Thanks, you do a great job on this.

One quibble: By focusing on the distinction between what HAS caused contempt or what MAY theoretically cause contempt you risk a diversion from the essential issue which is: contempt actual or potential is not a legitimate human rights issue. This is the thing we have to keep focusing on: feeling hatred even expressing it should be protected within the purview of freedom of speech. There is no legitimate right to not be offended. We need to limit speech only in cases of direct incitement to violence which are very rare -- and incitement must be very tightly and restrictively defined.

And needless to say we shouldn't criminalize nutty historical notions either (Holocaust denial laws are a travesty).

It's extremely ironical -- forget the guy's name -- but we had a dude here in Canada who particpated in radio broadcasts in Rwanda directly inciting his tribe to commit mass murder. Can't recall the circumstances (deportation hearing?) but he suffered no consequences for his incitement. Anybody know more about this?

Are you horrified by the actions of the various Human Rights Commissions such as
their charges against Macleans magazine, Ezra Levant of the Western Standard and
Mark Steyn re his book "America Alone"?

I am! Our precious rights to free speech backed by over 800 years of British
justice and 250 years of Canadian custom and law are being trampled over by
these HRCs with their arbitrary and unappealable decisions.

Go to
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/a-free-dominion-against-the-hrcs/signatures.html
and check out the information there. If it upsets you as much as it does me,
you'll sign the petition and add a pertinent comment. Better still, you'll
email or write to your MP stating your firm opinion that these HRCs must be
brought into line with the laws and rules of our Charter and Canadian justice.
Make him/her think that your vote hinges on his support. That will get his/her
attention!

Every blogger should be posting all the cartoons in support of Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn. We can't allow the Muslims to think for a minute that we will tolerate their Islamofascism here.

This is war for our freedom and for our country. Muslims either embrace Liberal democracy, or they get the hell out!!!

Were the opening remarks televised? I would have dearly loved to have been there to see it.

I remember about six years ago before I left the country, some perfessor in Calgary got a lip on about what some pastor wrote in a "Letters to the Editor" piece in a local Red Deer paper. It was obvious that this academic dick spent a great deal of time looking about trying to find stuff to be insulted at. Anyone remember the outcome? I be the pastor lost.

Nominate Ezra for the Order of Canada....nah a cold beer has more prestige.

right, me no dhimmi - I think that the concept that there is no inherent 'right' NOT to be offended should be added to the list of problems with the HRC.
The HRC is in violation of basic Canadian rights on a number of levels: human rights, fundamental freedoms, legal rights.

1) The HRC focuses on speculation rather than actual facts. That is, it concerns itself with evaluating whether an image/statement 'might' cause a particular result. There is no actual evidence required in the HRC review of any such result having occurred.

To set up a legal process that bases its decisions on pure speculation is a violation of our basic legal rights of being judged according to actual evidence.

2) The HRC focuses on subjectivism rather than objective data. Its focus on emotional feelings of 'hatred' or 'contempt' are purely subjective and arbitrary. There is not and cannot be any direct relation between a particular image/statement and another person's subjective feeling of 'hatred' or 'contempt'.

Furthermore, to abstract a particular image/statement and assign it specific causality in causing 'hatred' or 'contempt' ignores the reality of previous embedded sets of subjective feelings in all of us. We are not 'empty buckets'; we are a collection of accumulated knowledge and experiences.

This HRC rejection of basic cognitive processes betrays deep ignorance of cognition.

3)There is not and cannot exist, such a 'right' as the 'right not to be offended'. The reason is that 'being offended' is a subjective rather than objective state, and therefore it cannot ever be considered a violation of a fundamental right which must be both universal and objectively observable.

Therefore, for the HRC to define 'being offended' as a valid criterion for its decisions, is itself a violation of our fundamental rights; namely

b)" freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication' (Charter of Rights).

It should be noted that the articulation of these freedoms is a NECESSARY articulation and requires the steadfast support of the state. The reason is because any expression of thought, belief and opinion that rejects causing 'offense' would halt all capacity for change, adaptation, progress and development in that state. Dissent and debate is a basic requirement of the reasoning mind.

4) The fact that the HRC operates without evidence, within future-based imaginary speculation, within subjective emotional descriptions - means that it is in violation of our basic legal rights.

The fact that the HRC uses the taxpayer's money to fund the complaintant and provides no assistance to the accused, is in violation of our basic legal rights of equality (section 15.1 of the Charter) which includes "has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law".

The fact that the HRC is in direct violation of our basic Charter Rights of Freedom of Expression is an outrageous situation.

The HRC should be immediately disbanded.

ET - thanks so much for the URL to the Federal Act. I am sure it will make for an interesting read. What I see so far is actually rather frightening, given the realities of today. Presumbly we have an "Alberta Human Rights Act," or something of this nature, guiding and empowring the process Ezra is involved with. I'm left wondering what an actual political strategy (i.e., practical, organized and logcial) might look like.

We need a time line re the cartoons.
When were they published in Denmark.
How many months later did some muslim see them and go to Pakistan and tell about them.
What was the reaction, to this information.
It was muslims that rioted and killed and had carbques. It was muslims that did damage to others.
When were the cartoons published in the WS, and how many years later did some iman get offended.
Same goes for the Steyn/Macleans business.
Perhaps the iman should have complained that publishing these cartoons would cause muslims to go into a rage against non muslims, not the other way around.
Ezra is right when he says it is muslim actions causing hate against them.
Let us hope this is the beginning of the end for this farce of a HRC.

Thanks, irwin daisy for your helpful analyses.

You wrote, "The popular entertainment subset of the indoctrinational phase teaches this modeling and coding by in our example

“1. Identifying people who hold a ‘Wrong’ view and aligning them with a negative stereotype, e.g. Rednecks, Flag Waving Patriots, Ignorant.

“2. Teaching people to model ‘Right’ behavior by rejecting their views as bigoted and ignorant using a fuzzy rote response that has no real meaning.”

I may be quite wrong, but it seems to me that #1. above might be in action, right here, right now, at SDA. E.g., I gave information about what the women’s group, REAL Women (RW) has had to say about the HRCs. Not only did RW say almost the same things as Ezra has, it said them long before he did.

Four and a half hours later, no one seems to have noticed—or cared to remark on—RW’s prescience and, I might say, intelligence concerning this issue. Now, as RW has long been identified and labelled as “wrong” by the powers that be, it has the altogether undeserved reputation of being redneck, stupid, unworthy of notice. As one can tell by reading the two well reasoned, knowledgeable excerpts I provided, nothing could be further from the truth. (I'll bet quite a few people here cringed to see REAL Women favourably mentioned on this thread: “THAT group? Who wants to be linked to them?” Of course, that's altogether in keeping with the statists' plan to marginalize the voice of reason as spoken by their enemies.)

REAL Women has been a voice crying in the wilderness about the HRCs—and a whole lot of other important issues that are changing Canada for the worse, right under our noses. RW has been right on the money on this issue and I’m sure they’re delighted to see someone else finally carrying the ball in the public square.

But isn’t it too bad for all of us that their concerns about the HRCs went unheeded for so long?

Godspeed, Ezra, and keep giving 'em hell!

Is the HRC an open forum that the public can attend or do they hide behind closed doors?

Perhaps Canadians should make a real effort to staff the HRC with people like Ezra -- piss in you boots HRC -- LOL :)

Videos also at LGF. ...-

Outrage of the Week: Canadian Publisher Persecuted for Mindcrime

An excellent opening statement by Ezra Levant, at his Canadian Human Rights Commission “hearing” for publishing the Danish cartoons of blasphemy. This hearing is an outrage, and Levant is brilliant here.
http://tinyurl.com/38635a

I know what you mean lookout.

I have consistently stated that the ideology of Islam is foundationally violent and the impetus for jihad in all its various forms. I have shown mountains of evidence to support this fact from the Islamic trilogy - the Quran, Hadith and Sira.

For doing so I am vilified not only by leftist smear artists, but get labeled 'bigot' by so-called Conservatives like teddy and Jimbo. Not one of them debates with a rational counter argument or facts. This is because they typically admit that they haven't read the Quran, or supporting texts and therefore have no knowledge of the content. Yet, it seems they do believe that their feelings trump knowledge and facts - and ad hominem attacks trump all.

It's both odd and alarming how criticism and exposure of the actual Islamic doctrine creates such hysteria and irrationality amongst non-Muslims as well.

MaryT,

Add to your timeline:

The Mo toons were published in a small Egyptian paper in October 2005 - no riots.

The Danish imam used faked Mo toons to whip up outrage at the Pan-Arab meetings in December 2005. It took another 6 weeks for the Pakistanis to get in enough Danish flags to stage impromptu riots, arsons and murders.

Isn't it outrageous that the MSM isn't really covering this critically important crossroads in Canadian and human rights history?

What little the MSM is saying, it seems to me to be more in line with imposed politically correct dogma than with what the actual facts are.

Most important of all, the MSM is refusing to tell the Canadian People that the "human rights" commissions are unconstitutional and actually take away rights rather than uphold them. This is dangerously irresponsible and the MSM will be held morally and ethically responsible for everyone whose rights are jackbooted by the commissions from now on!

Really, it couldn't hurt the MSM to have objective, scrupulously honest and impartial experts give commentary on newscasts to explain how the hrc is illegitimate, unconstitutional and perpetually jackbooting the rights of the accused. This is the least they can do. Sure, they can also have "experts" from the Far Left to spew lies if they want, but at least present both the truth and the Big Leftwing Lies as opposed to merely the latter, as they usually do!

What better proof is there of the hidden but apparent agenda of the MSM than this?

HRC's have nothing on the old USSR, they're pure Commissars, we're all wards of the state, they'll tell us what we can say, what we can do, what we can think. We'll obey or else pay a big price to our friendly neighbourhood lawyers.
If someone doesn't like what we do or say they lodge that grievance and we're off to disgrace and bankruptcy to defend ourselves, IF WE CAN.

This commentary by Mark Steyn in The Economist pretty much sums up my sentiment:

"Much of Canada's press and many broadcasters are already noted for politically correct blandness. Some fear that the case can only make that worse. Mr Steyn and others hope it will prompt a narrower brief for the commissions, or even their abolition. As he put it in his blog, “I don't want to get off the hook. I want to take the hook and stick it up the collective butt of these thought police.”"

I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed , but ..... most of these HRC complaints are filed over PERCEIVED greivances . Personally , I'm deeply offended by what these HRC's are doing on several fronts , Mark and Ezra being the latest examples . Not only am I offended by the HRC's , as well I'm unbeliavbly offended by the parties that have advanced these cases . As a Canadian citizen , can I launch a complaint to one of these HRC's , naming both the HRC's in question and the various other parties that are offending me so . It sounds like there many others who are offended reading this as well . How does one file these complaints ? And why aren't we all filing them ?

Mr. Levant is doing an incredible job, and the airing of the videos to see the sham that is this court is fantastic.

Has there ever been an equivalent to this in Europe/England, long lost to censorship and political correctness? Was there ever a single person in England who stood up for Western values publicly like Mr. Levant.

What jurisdiction does a human rights tribunal have to judge whether the impact of someone's action on the safety of a complainant? What witnesses and experts do they have to opine on this? This is beyond stupid.

Maybe I'm being optimistic, but perhaps at some point Ezra Levant's and Mark Steyn HRC complaints will be seen as the beginning of a turning of some politically correct tide.

MaryT: If memory serves, those cartoons had already been published in Egypt without incident. And months before. The rage was stage-managed by Danish imams who literally went on tour through the ME with the cartoons adding some of their own very vulgar ones which were not in the original set, and for the express purpose of generating Islamic rage.

lookout: Good to keep reminding us of Real Women.

Dare I say it? We should really have been just as outraged with the treatment of Ernst Zundel and Doug Collins. It should go without saying that I found their views reprehensible.

And again as to Ezra's remark about the original purpose: to adjudicate squabbles about employment and housing with a racial aspect: if we're talking about REAL freedoms, true freedom of association should permit me to NOT rent to or NOT employ whomever I wish, as non-intutive as that seems in the modern era!

We really need to abolish all "hate" laws and confine the issue to incitement to violence against anybody, not just "protected" groups.
There should be NO protected groups. There's no such thing as "group rights".

Well you know, a civil disobedience strategy - launching multiple complaints against the HRC's themselves, Federal to Provincial and Provincial to Federal may have some practical utility on a few different levels. I wonder what a court challenge (AB could be a godd first target)would produce in terms of possibilities, not the least of which would be to bring the issue more sqarely into the public view. One senses that we may be at one of those fortuitous crossroads, had we been prepared, and had we been a "we."

I think what Ezra Levant has done is LONG over due. This person has placed himself at the "Pointy End of the Stick" and MUST be supported.

As you can seen in the vid,s he can more than amply hold his own with the "Bucket Brigade" of "Political Correctness" by out mentally maneuvering them one to one.

The problem is, he is dealing with a system of entrenched idealism and they will not concede he is right no matter what. Just look at the "inquisitors face when Ezra said." Why is that a relevant question" and her reaction to the statement by Erza " It's my bloody right to do so". In other words this maven of the Kangaroo Court has already decided his guilt with an obvious "How dare you NOT show your belly to me young pup".

Just look at the inquisitors body language during his opening statement to see she has a over blown sense of Q,ness (Sorry Star Trek) to realize just how rough the road ahead of Ezra is.

Am I the only one that has noticed the picture on the wall....it's all uphill, rough and curves to the left?

This is not over by a long shot and Erza will need a BIG infusion of cash and moral support to fight this "Good Fight". Be prepared to pony up a substantial amount of encouragement and cash donations to help Ezra slay this dragon, that threatens us all.

I have a question,

Maybe I'm missing something here and this question will sound somewhat dumb but here it is anyway,

If no one has ever won against the Human rights commisions, AND if even one wins against the HRC it is a financial punishment,
then why bother spending tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers and legal experts?

Don't get me wrong I am not saying Ezra Levant/ Western Standard or McCleans/Mark Steyn should give up.
That is NOT what I am saying.
But shouldn't they should use their brilliant minds and save their money?

If I could express myself and defend myself as brilliantly as Levant and Steyn can , I know I would save my money.

If I'm missing some information , feel free to educate me, as I said I might be missing something here.

A few -- a minority -- of commenters in this thread seem to harbour a mistaken belief that Ezra is acting as some proxy agent to whip up anti-Muslim sentiments similar to their own. He's not. He's there to defend his and our right to FREE SPEECH.

Let's keep our eye on the ball.

Giv e them hel! we are here to support you.nev er surrender! This is total bullsh1t.Our fredoms are being eroded on a daily basis and the sheople dont see it itn is called creeping socialism i believe.

Two items of note in this:

1. No notable/visible coverage by the MSM yet - and they should be all over it like a dog on a bone as it impacts them and their very existence directly; and

2. The leftard trolls are noticeably absent from this thread, although I have no doubt that they are reading it. I don't recall ever having seen a Kate post like this where they haven't swarmed in with their usual psychotic rants. Perhaps they actually agree that the HRC outfits are a farce and a real travesty of justice.

Forgot to add - GO EZRA!!!!!

Levant, while not the most articulate with the greatest judgement, IMO, is doing all of us a service on this one. AB HRC has a tiger by the tail in Levant, and would be well-advised to disengage.

This issue of "likely" to cause hatred or violence (or whatever) has gotten even murkier (and dangerous) with the Levant case. These cartoons were published in Western Standard some time ago, yet there have been no riots, no violence, nothing. Is there a statute of limitations on when the "likely" violence happens?

IMO, the fact that there has been no violence, and some time has passed since the cartoons were published, proves that this act was UNLIKELY to cause violence. As for hatred, how ridiculous can this get. I hate you, you say something that offends me (I decide), which means you have caused the hatred I felt all along. Huh!!

The big-time problem (ie-destroying our rights) with HRC and political correctness, is someone else gets to decide what you meant by something you said (like they're mind readers or psychics or something), and based on their opinion, perspective, and quite possibly prejudice, get to take action against the "perpretrator" at no risk or cost to themselves (like a countersuit for example in civil court).

This is a big problem, this Gulag mentality. I would like to see a court challenge against HRC, but frankly I don't trust them on this type of issue, any more than I trust HRCs. I still think AB HRC will let this one die quietly.

Then we have the Steyn case. When will it end?

Inquisitor's... overblown sense of "Q-Ness" -Glen

--That's a perfect analogy. For those who don't know about that, a "Q" is an omnipotent being who believes it's a god and regards mere mortals as irrelevant little toys to be tossed around at will. Such is the mentality and character of the commission interrogators. Cold, soullessly detached, barely-human bureaucratic automatons brainwashed by the state apparatus into believing that jackbooting peoples' rights is the "right thing" to do.

Or one could also consider the interrogators the equivalent of the Borg. Imagine:

We are Borg. Rights are irrelevant. The Charter is irrelevant. Evidence is irrelevant. You must be punished. You will be found guilty where you stand.

In Canada. I didn't make this up. Choose your Canada.

EBD is correct. It must be remembered that these cartoons were originally published in Denmark. Therefore, the question of freedom of speech/expression/press belongs in Denmark.

When the Western Standard picked up the story about 2 years ago, it was simply to publish the facts about what was causing such a stir in the Muslim world.

Here is a link in a Brussels publication:
www.brusselsjournal.com/node/698

While these cartoons would be considered mildly humourous if any other group or politician had been the target, it must be remembered that the WS did not create the cartoons or re-publish them with the goal of humour. It re-published them so that its readers could have the correct information as to what was riling Muslims.

Therefore this case is even more troubling than if thw WS writers had created these cartoons on their own.

WHAT IS REALLY ON TRIAL HERE IS THE RIGHT FOR A MEDIA ORGANIZATION TO PUBLISH FACTS ABOUT A GROUP THAT THAT SAME GROUP DOES NOT WANT PUBLISHED BECAUSE IT FINDS THOSE FACTS EMBARASSING.

Friend of USA @5.58PM,

The Stalinist show-trials gave the "defendants" more opportunity to defend themselves than these HRC "commissions". One only needs make a claim on paper and the government, AKA the taxpayer, pays for the inquisition, trial and sentencing. The poor soul brought up before the HRC has to cover all their own costs, including time. They are not allowed to be represented by a lawyer. They must explain and grovel before the commisar. There is no legal form to these "show trials". Nothing before them would stand up in a real court. Which, of course, is why people chose these venues rather than real courts. Laws of evidence and rules of fact do not pertain to these persecutions.

I can complain that you have ofended me, and, even if not accepted by teh commisars, they launch a persecution on you and that costs you. The merest complaint launches an inquisition.

Watch the videsos, Ezra nails it.

That woman in the video is not a judge, she is not even a lawyer in many a jurisdiction, she is a COMMISSAR. An appointee from a political grouping, appointed for political reasons.

Brent Weston @6:18PM.

No, it is not about supressing facts that organisations do not want.

It is about the liberty to speak one's mind freely, without fear of persecution.

Make sure you watch the videos of the inquisition now up on Ezra's site.

"I think you're playing silly bugger here."

We all do.

How one comes away from that not feeling ill at ease, if not downright ill, I don't know.

This is where our country and its Charter has taken us?

Grateful for the foresight that Ezra and his lawyer had, to notify the HRC that they would be taping the sessions. And that they would not be kept in a locked drawer somewhere.

This will do for a line in the sand for many of us. Go, Ezra!

A few -- a minority -- of commenters in this thread seem to harbour a mistaken belief that Ezra is acting as some proxy agent to whip up anti-Muslim sentiments similar to their own

That's weird, EDB, I've read the comments -- I don't recall encountering anti-Muslim sentiments in this thread! Or are you just being superior?

Glad it's a minority though -- whew!

Lots of anti-liberal-fascist censorship comments though.

Does anyone know the name of the Commissar? Her credentials?

Spam the Alberta HRC.

http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/contact/

I don't speak for EBD, Irwin, but I think that your 2:48 and 5:08 comments were off topic, and in the latter case you were rewriting history (I was there too). But much more importantly, this thread is about the AHRC inquisition and about Mr. Levant's and all our right to freedom of thought and speech. This thread is not about you, or me, or any other squabbles commenters have had here.

Please let's not argue about that in this thread.
The matter at hand is more important than that.
This is not an abstract debate, it's the real thing.

Also, folks, I don't think spamming the AHRC is a wise idea. This is a situation that will play out over time; it may even end up at the supreme court. This is a situation that will require us to provide long-term support to Mr. Levant in his defense of our fundamental freedoms, not simply some short-term ranting and venting.

So while carefully considered letters to politicians, and yes, even the MSM, are not in my opinion a problem and are even a good idea, running around screaming and babbling isn't going to help anyone. Not that you were suggesting that, Wimpy.

Finally, if anyone hasn't yet watched the videos at
ezralevant.com then I strongly recommend that you do.

I just can't understand how a this person can have such authority ( or think she does ) over another Canadian in regards to HIS free speech rights while flouting the law?

Also strongly agree with Mr. Levit that this board is as guilty of driving the negativity wedge further and maintaining a false sense of security or reality, by even addresssing a fasiscts as someone of merit, respect and ethics. And this person's judgments are rammed down our throats, no matter what?

Thing is regular Canadians who have really been wronged are denied any kind of justice from any of these useless pools of fools.

Bill I am with you, I am deeply offended
Where do I file? ;-)

Me No Dhimmi:

My bad -- too many comment-thread tabs, not enough general sense of wherewithal.

Is there an emoticon for "embarassed"?

Just been reading some of the comments over at LGF, and it appears this is going international. Ezra is doing a BIG THING here. Go Ezra, Go.

I'll be glad to keep my comments on topic.

I think I owe Ezra an apology.
I was openly hard on him for originally printing these cartoons,not because of their content or his claims of freedom of speech,but because I thought he was simply 'whoring the publicity' from the Danish controversy for nothing more than profit.

Now his magazine is demised and he still must face this 'lynching mob for PC'ness',I congratulate him for republishing on his website and standing up for all of us disgusted by this undemocratic persecution.

"You may start your interrogation"....I love it.

Ezra...you now have my FULL support...BTW...sorry.

WC @7.03pm hey, I thought I had posted that on EUreferendum; how come it ended up here? Damn!

But, I must say, I like his "bring it on" approach. This female commissar, who probably is more concerned about her teenage son's desire for drugs, is getting tit-deep into la merde (as we canqdians saty).

I think she will fold before the AHRC will. Expect to see a pathetic mess.

Hi everyone. I suggest we absolutely flood the Alberta HRC with complaints: humanrights@gov.ab.ca

Here's mine, which I also cc'd to all Members of Parliament in Ottawa.

To the members of the Alberta 'human rights' commission;

As with many 'government' offices, communication by the public is often made difficult - so I'll use what avenue is provided, namely this e-address.

I wish to question the acceptance of the complaint against Western Standard publisher Ezra Levant, by Mohamed Elmasry and the Canadian Islamic Council. The complaint should never have been accepted by the Commission in the first place. Canada is not the former Soviet Union, Saudi Arabia nor China. We have a long and established standard of free speech and political comment and to diminish that standard by accepting the legitimacy of the complaint is to in itself diminsh the freedom that people like my uncle, Peter Biollo of Edmonton, (dead at age 21 as a WWII bombardier) died to protect.

It is not the role of 'human rights' commissions to protect others from 'offense' but from acts of discrimination in employment and housing. No act of discrimination due to race, religion or gender has occured. And as in the case of Mclean's Magazine and Mark Steyn, Mr. Elmasry has not even claimed the materials to be false or inaccurate, but rather that they were 'offensive' and hurtful. Nor is their any proof that any articles by any publisher have led to acts against Muslims anywhere in Canada. Only a charge that they are 'likely' to do so. This strikes me as psychologists might say, 'projection'. The theory of projection is that we project on to others that which we are inclined to do ourselves.

Canada is and has always been a land of acceptance or, as wonks like commission members prefer, 'inclusion'. We do not attack others for their personal religious beliefs, but we will not stand idle when those religious beliefs are used as a weapon against our own freedom. Generations of immigrants have sought Canada as a safe haven and just as we have welcomed Chinese, Poles, Germans, Philippinos, and Peruvians, we welcome Muslims who wish to embrace Canadian ways and values.

But we will never accept people who embrace a ''political Islam' that demands special rights for themselves while at the same time, attempts to proscribe the rights of those around them. Do not be blind to what is taking place throughout the world by 'political Islam' and it's supporters. Political Islam is a clear and present danger to any society which incorporates its' perverted values.

As a quasi-judicial commission you have already bowed to the political pressure of 'political Islam'. Now they're watching to see just how far you are prepared to prostrate not only yourselves, but the Canadian people. As Arnold Toynbee famously said, "Civilizations are not murdered. They commit suicide." I'm here to say that you do not have the power to step towards suicide on my behalf.

I support Ezra Levant and all free Canadians. The human rights 'commissions' must be abolished. If Imam Elmasry has a complaint, let him lay a charge in a Canadian court of law.

Ezra Levant is a patriotic and courageous Canadian.

A while back leftist Canadians tried to suggest to the USA that Canada was somehow more humane, more sensitive, and more intelligent about human issues.

Regrettably, the Human Rights Commission is engaged in utterly shameful treatment of one of Canada's most honorable citizens.

The Western Standard published those cartoons in the face of threats and implied physical violence by a community that is known specifically for carrying out such threats.

When a huge population of global journalists cowered from personal threats, Levant and his staff demonstrated the courage of their convictions by standing up to those who insisted that the world community bow to their influence.

When North America is in the hands of men like Ezra Levant we are secure and safe from enemies who would strike us and cause us to be chilled by fear.

This is a very ugly and shameful thing for Canada to have such a totalitarian-leaning commission that singles out the most distinguished among us for retribution.

The Human Rights Commission and their supporters should be ashamed.

Vitruvius at 6:47

"Also, folks, I don't think spamming the AHRC is a wise idea."

Well, how will they understand that peopole object if we don't tell them?

"This is a situation that will play out over time; it may even end up at the supreme court."

I hope it will, and I think this is Ezra's plan. And I am behind him and will assist in finance.

"o while carefully considered letters to politicians, and yes, even the MSM, are not in my opinion a problem and are even a good idea, running around screaming and babbling isn't going to help anyone. Not that you were suggesting that, Wimpy."

You are correct, I never advocate running around, screaming and babbling :-) But forget the MSM, the CBC particularly. I advocate tough intellectual argument ... AKA reasoning.

Vitruvius: I watched the three videos at LGF. Assuming they're the same as on his site, I was a bit disappointed with the last two. I may be way off base here but I regretted his synagogue fireboming point -- not because it wasn't spot on, but because it made the thing look a bit personal. Better to have made the point that Canadians were amazingly well-behaved post 9/11 and that in the US and Canada antisemitic hate crimes dwarfed anti-muslim hate crime. Assuming "drawf" is ok in this context.

I was also uncomfortable with his aggressive finger-jabbing body language, again not because his anger was unjustified, but because I thought it could swing the sentiment over to the commissar.

Why did you publish? Good question back -- is this relevant and why -- but how about after that: 'cos I'm in the news business and this was the biggest story in the world and I thought Canadians deserved to see what the fuss was all about.

Here's something I was wondering: What about saying: "Look, didn't the CBC play videos of the aircraft crashing into the twin towers after it had been determined that Muslims did it? Wouldn't showing these over and over again expose Muslims to more contempt than my publication of these mild cartoons? Etc.

The opening statement was huge -- powerful. But I found the rest quite weak, damn it.

Prediction: He will win! He can't but win, and it'll be the first win since inception 30 years ago. The HRC knows they're in trouble if they bring in a "guilty" "verdict".

Steyn will win too. Hope he follows Ezra's path and does a video. That'll be something to treasure.

I would advise that people do NOT harass, spam, or insult the HRC in any way. The only way they are going away is through the court of public opinion influencing political will.

I can just see the first article a week from now about how this poor functionary of the HRC has been scarred for life by abusive email, online threats, etc. And she was only doing her job, like all the other good jobs she did.... etc.

Keep calm.

Let Ezra do his work.

Support the man.

Do not undo the moment with foolishness!!!!

I can just see the first article a week from now about how this poor functionary of the HRC has been scarred for life by abusive email, online threats, etc. And she was only doing her job, like all the other good jobs she did.... etc.

Just who do you think these abuses would be reported by ?

Jemma 54 writes: "This is a 'turning point' in Canadian history and it is all Canadian citizens who are on trial here. If Ezra goes down the rest of us go too." This is so true. And yes where is the media coverage of this event and Ezra's statements? As others have noted, there are very few news stories mentioning the hearing. In the United States, this would be front page news on every major daily and a top story on news broadcasts of whatever stripe. I do not believe that Canadians value their rights, and the price of such indifference is to lose those rights. The MSM is complicit in this sell-off of Canadian freedoms. Go Ezra -- one of the few remaining public figures who seems to care about what being a Canadian should stand for.

Just noticed Wimpy's comment: "Just been reading some of the comments over at LGF, and it appears this is going international." -- well that might give our Canadian press a clue that they are missing something significant. It seriously puzzles me that the MSM does not see this as a signficant and dangerous assault on freedom of speech. I can only conclude that they have sold their souls and do not care. Too bad -- journalism used to be an important pillar in a democracy.

I can't believe that there are those who council that the HRC not be spammed or harassed. Don't issue threats or profanity, but anything else you have to say in voicing displeasure should be said again and again and again.

If you stay quiet, you are doing exactly what the Muslims want. If you stay quiet, you will become England, or Holland, or France. Silence is absolutely the greatest enemy of freedom. Legal arguments to and fro with all sorts of complexities also are the enemy, for it is in that complexity that truth always gets lost. That’s why Ezra is keeping is simple and hard hitting.

Imagine, the complainants in this case incur no cost, while the one defending themselves incurs all the cost ... and you and me. Each and every one of you who pays taxes in Canada, is paying for the persecution of Ezra Levant.

Make noise, write, email, spam ... let it be known that you and I have the right to bitch, complain, and criticize Islam, Christianity, Liberals, neo-cons, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, and even Don Cherry.

The fascists came for Ezra Levant and I stood up for him. I looked around and saw I was not alone and that we were many.

I think it will make all the difference.

Good luck to you Ezra, thank you for standing up to the fascists.

Really, this is only the beginning.

The only thing that can make or keep a society free is strict adherance to a constitution that clearly defines the rights humans possess by virtue of being human - and that expressly limits what their government is permitted to do in order to serve those rights.

We haven't got such a constitution in Canada; we are coasting on such British traditions as remain undiluted by decades of unchallenged erosion from social engineers and nanny-statists. Trudeau's vaunted Charter is flawed from its preamble onwards. There is nothing in it that will stop any HRC from doing to any other person they chooses to harass, exactly what they are now doing to Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn - even if both complaints against them are dismissed outright tomorrow. This is not a fight that will be fought just once, so long as there is no ironclad guarentee that our government can do nothing but serve wholeheartedly every right we have.

The "Prophet Mohamad is dead", "I don't think I could have offended him." Someone should post the name of the imam, his address, his web page, maybe he needs to hear from some real CANADIANS.

It's crucial that we fight for our freedoms, sad that we have to.
We got along quite well, thank you, before these misfits to modern democracies arrived on the scene.

We're so nice, we tolerate real hate rants from people like Elmasry, they don't have to pay big bucks to defend themselves. A little slap on the wrist or a chance to say they didn't really mean it in a convoluted, contrived story to be accepted as an apology.

The Trudeau Charter has been rendered useless as anything close to protecting our freedoms as long as HRC'c and their Commissars can abuse the rights of our people.

HRC unintended consequence or stupidity ?

Surprise ... surprise , Borovoy , one of the intellectual lib-left founders of the HRC concept back in the 70's was so naive that he never envisioned the HRC's being used to stifle freedom of speech ?

Another shining success for the liberal totalitarian mob!

George Jonas (quoted below)
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/01/04/george-jonas-it-s-a-human-right-to-be-an-idiot.aspx

" .... A few public intellectuals finally professed a little unease when the HRCs they helped create began venturing into areas of ostensibly fundamental freedoms. “During the years when my colleagues and I were labouring to create such commissions,” wrote the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s Alan Borovoy after an HRC called the Western Standard on the carpet for reprinting some cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, “we never imagined that they might ultimately be used against freedom of speech.” .... "